The Magic Crystal (1986)

The Magic Crystal (1986)- * * *

Directed by: Jing Wong

Starring: Cynthia Rothrock, Richard Norton, Bin Bin, Sharla Cheung, and Andy Lau 







When a young boy named Pin Pin (Bin Bin) (yes, you read that correctly. Bin Bin plays Pin Pin. What did you expect?) befriends a green, glowing crystal that can communicate with humans by intercepting their brainwaves, a series of Martial Arts battles - as well as wacky comedy scenarios - ensue. The evil KGB want the crystal, and the nefarious Karov (Norton) is not messing around. Cindy Morgan (Rothrock) is battling him every step of the way. Andy (Lau) is a cop and the older cousin of Pin Pin, and along with Winnie Shen (Cheung) and Pancho (Jing) the three go on a series of misadventures, not the least of which takes them all the way to Greece where the ancient aliens (now seen on the History channel and on DVD) tried to rendezvous with human beings thousands of years ago. But are they done with us? Find out today!

The Magic Crystal is a fun and entertaining joyride that throws a little bit of everything at the viewer. It might not always make the most amount of sense, but it seems making sense wasn’t even in the top 100 of priorities for director Wong Jing. His mandate appears to have been to entertain audiences at all costs (even if coherency is one of those costs). He succeeded. One minute a little kid is chatting with a glowing chunk of goo, then there’s some wacky slapstick with some other characters, then there are some fast and furious Martial Arts fights. It’s definitely a cinematic smorgasbord, and who are we to say no?

Obviously, what we gravitated towards here were the fights. They have that fast, cool, inventive style Hong Kong was so great at, especially in the 80’s/early 90’s. You get not one, but two Rothrock/Norton fights, and throw Andy Lau into that mix, and you truly can’t lose. The fast pace keeps things lively and the whole outing has a cool ending. What’s not to love?

The fact that some of the action takes place in Greece gives things a different feel and look from the average “chop-socky” films of the time, and there’s a lot of cool 80’s style on display, from the music, to the phones, to the cool, pre-CGI effects which actually delight the eye rather than irritate it. There’s the time-honored warehouse fight, and a schoolyard bullying subplot that was very ahead of its time. Fan favorite Richard Norton plays the bearded baddie with aplomb. He’s a KGB man who inexplicably is also a Martial Arts master. This was the first of many Cynthia Rothrock/Richard Norton onscreen pairings, and, as they individually are two of our favorites, we were happy to see their relationship got off on the right foot.

You’ll likely have a smile on your face as big as the one on the 3-D poster of Donald Duck that Pin Pin has over his bed when you watch this “Gem” of a movie.

Comeuppance Review by: Ty and Brett 

A Book Of Heroes (1987)

A Book Of Heroes (1987)- * * *1\2

Directed by: Yen-Ping Chu

Starring: Yasuaki Kurata, Hui San Yang, Yukari Oshima, Kua Hu, and Bin Bin









When a nefarious Japanese crime lord named Yamashita (Kurata) moves in on Hong Kong territory, it sets off a chain of events which lead to a lot of conflicts and confusion. When a shipment of gold bars disappears, Yamashita wants to get his hands on it, but so do a lot of other people. Hu Pai (Kua Hu) is a cop attempting to take down Yamashita and his gang, and along the way he must take Miss Yang (???), who isn’t a licensed police officer, but she wants to be, so she uses her considerable Martial Arts skill to take down the baddies on her own! 

Meanwhile a woman named Shanshan (Hui San Yang) and a mustachioed man named David are also in search of the gold, but that’s secondary to Shanshan’s true goal of getting revenge by trying to kill Yamashita. But Yamashita has an ace in the hole in the form of a talented bodyguard (played by Yukari Oshima). Naturally it all comes to a head in a big final blowout fight. Who will end up in the BOOK OF HEROES?

We were happy to finally track down and see Book of Heroes, because, at least in America, it’s a tough one to get a hold of, making this an under-the-radar Martial Arts extravaganza. Indeed, the fights are amazingly well-choreographed, and a pure pleasure to watch. They have that outrageously fast, kinetic, acrobatic style that the late 80’s-early 90’s HK action films are known for. And if that’s what you’re looking for, you won’t be disappointed. Of course, the stunts and fights are the main highlights of the movie, but that wacky humor seen in most films from this time and place is here too. Presumably it’s all part of the entertainment package.

The minions of the main baddie are all called “Rats” (as some sort of gang name?), and of course there is the time-honored map to the missing gold, but if there’s one standout scene in the movie, it’s the one with Bin Bin. You might remember Bin Bin as the kid from the previous year’s Magic Crystal (1986), and sadly Book of Heroes is his last credited movie role to date. This young tot plays “Little Fighter” who helps out in his own way during a fight scene, and is never seen again. However, the filmmakers didn’t make much effort to conceal his adult-sized stunt double, which leads to hilarious results. What was it like to have a grown man walking around in knee socks and dressed exactly like Bin Bin in every way (including a colorful cap that just says “1986”) on the set? We may never know...

Some American hit songs can be heard during the movie, such as Cyndi Lauper’s “Girls Just Wanna Have Fun” and Heart’s “These Dreams”. Did they get permission to use these? The rules were so much more lax in the old days. Now they would have to pay a bundle for them. In Book of Heroes, they’re just kinda there.  In the end, Book of Heroes is worth seeing. If you’re a fan of this type of movie, it does indeed deliver the goods.

Comeuppance Review by: Brett and Ty